Multiple Sclerosis Hands

I was going to title this post “MS Spills” but I realize that when multiple sclerosis affects the hands it’s more than just spills which can be an issue.

A hot cup of coffee in my MS hands should be considered a weapon of mass destruction! Between wonky gait, tremors in my arms, when I’m trying to hold something, or if I’ve lost feeling all together, point A to point B seems to be a few laps around the alphabet. That my left side is weaker than my right — thus my right hand holds my cane or my forearm crutch — lends an air of obstacle course to many of my household excursions.

I can sometimes have great difficulty typing due to the way MS has scraped up my spinal cord. And the idea of holding something precious — like an antique or, heaven forbid, a baby! — is just not something I want to do anymore for the terror of a grip hiccup.

Funny, now that I think about it, that I had just (about 3 months prior) taken up viola lessons when I was diagnosed with MS. That beautiful instrument was sold back to the kind dealer who refunded the full price I’d paid.

They say that’s it’s our opposable thumbs that make us the beings that we are. What happens then those thumbs just don’t do what the human at the top of their chain of command asks of them?

How about you? MS in your hands? Does MS that affects your arms have “carrying consequences”? Any helpful hints that you may have learned?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trevis Gleason

Trevis L. Gleason is a food journalist and published author, an award-winning chef and culinary instructor who has taught at institutions such as Cornell University, New England Culinary Institute and...read more